How to watch/what to watch for: South Carolina looks to stay hot as Florida comes into town
Following a close win in College Station, South Carolina is looking strong as they enter the month of March, one very important to basketball season. The No. 18 Gamecocks have picked up a hot streak in recent games and look to continue the positive momentum at home.
With just three games left in the regular season, the Gamecocks will begin a two-game home stand, starting with No. 24 Florida on Saturday.
Tip-off is at noon on SEC Network.
Here are some things to watch for.
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Now or never
In the SEC rankings, South Carolina finds itself seated third behind Alabama and Tennessee. If South Carolina wants a chance at the glorious SEC regular season championship title, it will have to win the rest of the seasons games and hope for the worst for Alabama and Tennessee.
It is not out of reach for the Gamecocks, but the wins need to keep coming to have a chance at the top seed.
Will Meechie continue to shoot well?
This season has been a nonlinear path for junior guard Meechie Johnson. In many instances, Johnson has struggled to find the net and came up scoreless.
Against Texas A&M, Johnson scored a team-high 22 points with five rebounds and three assists. He hit three three-pointers and shot 7-of-14 from the field against the Aggies.
The Gamecocks need Johnson to bring his A-game in order to possibly secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
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How will Collin Murray-Boyles do at home?
Murray-Boyles has had a standout season making headlines and helping his team to victory in more than one game. However, against the Aggies, Murray-Boyles wasn’t playing to his full potential offensively, scoring just eight points with three assists.
What makes Murray-Boyles so special is his ability to play both sides of the ball really well. Where he lacked offensively, Murray-Boyles played extremely well defensively with 12 rebounds.
Colonial Life Arena has been a place of luck and good fortune offensively and defensively for the young freshman. This game could be a major one for Murray-Boyles as the season comes to an end.
Scouting the opponent
The No. 24 Florida Gators (20-8, 10-5 SEC) are currently ranked sixth in the SEC rankings. Junior Walter Clayton Jr will put up a tough fight against the Gamecocks defense.
The key to a powerful offense will be keeping the ball out of the hands of Clayton Jr. He leads the Gators in points per game averaging 16.8 and steals per game averaging 1.1.
Senior Tyrese Samuel will be the major force South Carolina’s offense will have to break down. As a veteran in the locker room, Samuel leads the team in rebounds per game averaging 7.9. Standing at 6-foot 10-inches, Josh Gray will have some tough defensive competition.
Zyon Pullin will work with his teammates to try and overpower the Gamecocks out of the gate. The key to victory for South Carolina is to come out strong, fast and consistent out of the gate. The game will be tough and even matched for both teams.
The Gators and Gamecocks have not faced off against each other this season but South Carolina will need to overcome a strong Florida team early on.
Game Details
Who: No. 24 Florida (20-8, 10-5 SEC) at No. 18 South Carolina (22-5, 10-4 SEC)
When: Saturday, March 2 at noon
Where: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
How to watch/listen: SEC Network/107.5 FM
ESPN gives South Carolina a 50.4 percent chance to win
Odds for South Carolina vs. Florida
The Gamecocks are a 1.5 point favorite and also the favorite on the money line at -114, according to FanDuel. The total for this matchup is set at 146.5 if you want to bet the over/under.
